Pollution and Environmental Degradation
There are high levels of PCB contamination in the last several miles of the Grasse, the most significant being located near the old powerhouse and at a drainage outlet on the river for the Alcoa plant located north. Alcoa has spent years cleaning this section of river. In an early attempt at cleanup, the company "capped" the river bottom so that the chemicals could not be released. This plan failed due to the weir break in the village of Massena and resulting ice flows. Before its breach, this weir had kept ice upriver longer, allowing it to melt. Since it was breached, larger pieces of ice now flow down this section of river and have breached the river bottom cap. It has also caused major erosion of the shoreline along this section of river, due to the ice gouging it out during the spring ice flows.
Read more about this topic: Grasse River
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